toddler territory

Finley is officially a toddler. I'm not sure what kinds of thoughts she has yet because the only words she can say are - more, mom, dad, goose, pax, the dogs, bat, water, food, moon. I'm pretty sure, though, that she thinks "what would be the worst thing I could touch right now" and then she goes for it. Is it breakable? "yes I should drop it" will it call a random person if I press the buttons? "sounds good". Is it dirty? "great I eat it or rub my hands in it". All we can do it laugh and watch her very closely. She is also starting to run more than walk, which makes it even more of a challenge. Supposedly the ability for impulse control kicks in at around 2 -2.5 yrs. We've got a long way to go!

She's been in part time day care this month, but will be going back to full time in September and I'll be going to work more often. I love daycare because she learns a lot about being with other adults and kids and she enjoys it. I've been frustrated the last few days because several of the boys have managed to hit her. Yesterday she got pushed down right when she walked in the door and then hit on the head when Ben went to pick her up. Boys really are more rough than girls. It's amazing how young it starts.

Our highlight of the week so far was going to Greenlake with sushi take out and having a picnic. We brought Goose (formerly known as Epic) because he didn't get to go to flyball practice. It was a lovely day and perfect for being outside. After we ate we played at the playground. Finley is now able to climb up the slide and push herself down. She also really enjoys swinging and of course watching the other kids.

On Thursday we leave for Reno! I'm excited to have babysitters for Finley, all you can eat sushi and the Pet Edge and Patagonia warehouses!

Victoria Beach

Untitled, a photo by taydeb06 on Flickr.

Family Trip to Victoria

We went to Victoria this past week for vacation and flyball. A report on our dogs is here . We stayed at Weir's Beach RV resort from Tuesday until Friday morning. It was a great place to explore downtown Victoria and the Harbor and also see some of the wooded areas and beaches. I was surprised at how pretty everything is in Victoria and how much different the climate feels from Seattle.

This was the first time we took our RV on a trip that wasn't just for flyball. It was nice to have time to relax and go on trips and come back to our little traveling home. Finley was a great traveler as usually and absolutely loved playing in the sand and going for walks in her stroller. We will definitely go back.

Finley is now 22 lbs and is walking more steadily and saying more works everyday. The words I've heard so far are: "the dogs", bat, more, water, food, moon, goose, pax, mama, dada. She understands when we ask her to do something, like sit down on a chair or go get something. She is very agreeable at this age and is easily distracted from things she isn't supposed to get into. We are hoping that sticks around for awhile. She loves when we play "hide and seek" and chase her around or hold her hands and jump her up high in the air.

Oh and also I changed my mind about weaning. I decided to try to nurse her until she's two or until she is no longer interested. I've read a lot about the benefits of sticking it out until age two

picnic

We had fun at the flyball tournament last weekend. It was nice to finally have some time outside in the nice weather. It's lovely again this weekend and Finley's grandparents are here visiting. We've been spending a lot of time outside at playgrounds and going to walks.

Yesterday was Finley's 15 month Drs appointment. She is 78 cm and 10 kg, growing right along her growth curve. She is just below the 50th %ile. She is right where she is supposed to be in all other areas...walking, climbing up stairs, feeding herself, sleeping well, asking for things without crying, saying a few words (more, dog, mama, dad)..the important things, . She is now signing "more" and "food".

I decided to completely wean her a few days ago. She hasn't been especially interested in nursing and so it seemed like the right time. She didn't seem to notice the change. I'm quite proud of myself for making it until 15 months.

We went to a picnic for Finley's daycare yesterday. It was so much fun to see her being independent and having a good time. She was excited to see her teachers and her friends from school. She loved the sing-a-long and making bubbles.

We brought this recipe to the potluck. I love it because it's good both cold, hot and at room temperature.

Lemon Fusilli

adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 cups heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2
  
• 3 lemons
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch of broccoli
  
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
  
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

journal

I've decided to attempt to use this blog as more of a journal for recording things that we do and especially to document the things that Finley does as she grows up. I'll still post photos as I take them here and on my Flickr site.

Things have been pretty mellow around here lately, probably because Seattle is skipping summer this year. The weather has been completely awful. I keep hoping it will get warmer, but we are not well into summer and it's freezing outside.

I started training for my job last week. So far it couldn't be a more perfect arrangement for me, especially when compared with my last job. I'll be at a small hospital working as a clinical dietitian. The part that makes it perfect is that it's 15 minutes from my house with NO traffic, it's per diem with an expected part-time schedule (but if I'm not available, I don't have to work) and I'll be working on all the floors of the hospital from psych to babies to oncology patients. It's been two years since I finished my internship, which means I have a lot to review. I've got time though...I won't start working regularly until September. This works out well since we are going to Victoria for a combined vacation/flyball tournament and then to Reno.

The biggest news around here is that finally Finally started walking! She has been very cautious to walk on her own, even though she has been physically ready for awhile. Cautious is alright with me. Just today I saw her get up from sitting down and walk across the room. Such a proud moment.

She has a blast at daycare. She loves all the toys and the awesome variety of food and snacks. She loves circle time and singing songs with her teachers. She does get upset when the boys want to play with her or take one of her toys. She prefers to play with girls. Apparently she has learned to go to one of the older girls when one of the boys steals her toy and she gets it back for her. I'm not sure how she communicates that, but it's funny to see her start forming relationships with other kids.

Speaking of communication, she has been trying to talk and sign a lot lately. Her favorite sign is "more", specially related to more food. She is a big eater and needs to let us know when she wants more! It's pretty funny when she takes a bite and just as she starts chewing it, she asks for more. Or she will ask for more before she even starts eating!

We are off to a flyball tournament in Canada tomorrow and will be back on Sunday night!

Our Fourth

Yesterday morning we slept in until 9 am, when we woke up Finley. She is a major sleeper. That's okay with us. I made a new recipe. A cherry clafouti. It came out okay after some extra low temperature cooking. I'm still experimenting. Here's Julia Child's recipe, let me know if yours comes out.

Julia Child's Cherry Clafouti
1 -1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar, for garnish

***************************
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a blender, combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend.
Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish, and pour a 1/4-inch layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Set remaining batter aside.

Place dish into the oven for about 7-10 minutes, until a film of batter sets in the pan but the mixture is not baked through. Remove from oven (but don’t turn the oven off, yet).

Distribute the pitted cherries over the set batter in the pan, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the it's puffed and brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Servings: 6-8 for dessert, 4 for breakfast.

Then we tried to go to Gas Works Park, but there were crazy lines to get good seats for fireworks, which start at 10 pm and it was only noon! Crazy people! I don't even like fireworks. Instead we went to the much less crowded Green Lake and played in the playground, crawled around in the grass in the sun and then had lunch at Tutta Bella.

After a lovely trip to the dog park we lounged around the house and had Thai take out for dinner on the patio. For dessert we had homemade coconut popsicles. They came out really good and were super easy to make. I'm going to be experimenting with different flavors this summer!

Limber de Coco (coconut popsicle)

1 can evaporated milk
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks
Cinammon to taste1 cup of shredded coconut

Directions

Mix evaporated milk, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk in a bowl. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

14 months

Roslyn

We took an overnight trip to Roslyn on Friday night to visit some friends from college. It's a tiny town off I-90. I would go insane living there, but we had fun experiencing the small town feeling for the day. We brought our trailer and parked it in an alley. We have it stocked so that all we need to park are clothes and food. We are so happy to have that huge apartment on wheels.

Finley is sooo close to walking. She took a few steps today on her own and then she loses confidence. Oh well. I'm sure we'll be wishing she waited a little longer when she is into everything. She has been really into climbing on things, usually things that she can't get down from...or stairs. She has been talking a lot and trying to say new words. Nothing really clear other than Daaaad or Momomomom.

She really seems to be getting into the toddler phase with some demanding whining and even some fake crying. Overall, she is a very happy, easy kid and she still sleeps like a champ. This morning she woke up at 9 am. Yes!

The Builder

Our daughter the builder...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ8140T7n6U

Taste of Island Life

Today we took a family trip to the lovely Vashon Island. We loaded up Finley and the 3 dogs and headed for the ferry at around 10:30. We started out at The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie and had Toddy Lattes and shared a cinnamon bun. This was where Seattle's Best Coffee was made before it was bought by Starbucks.



Then we went for a lovely drive to the Point Robinson park. The dogs had plenty of space to run through the woods and on the beach.




After that we went to the farmers market and had lunch at Rock Island Pub & Pizza, which was quite possibly the worst pizza I've ever had.





It was exactly what we needed - a sunny, relaxing day with a little taste of island life. I can understand why people would want to live here. It's quiet, lovely and quaint. I'd love to go back and check out more of the farms and wild areas.

Fun Times With Gran

Finley, Gran & I have been having a fun all girls week! Aside from Finley's crazy teething experience....which was pretty bad. On Monday night she slept horribly and then was crying all day. It was awful. She didn't want to nurse or eat much (other than frozen blueberries and a smoothie) and kept trying to suck her thumb, but I think it hurt too much. And then the follow day she was back to her happy, goofy self.

On Tuesday we stayed home and cuddled and watched cartoons. On Wednesday we attempted to go to Bainbridge Island, but missed our ferry and ended up having lunch at Elliots Oyster House and then going to the Aquarium. Finley LOVED looking in the tanks and touching the starfish. It was a fun outing.

Today I had a job interview for a clinical dietitian position. I thought the interview went well, but I also thought the last one went well. This would be an ideal position for me because the hospital is 15 minutes away from our house. I'm not getting my hopes up this time, but HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET A JOB THAT REQUIRES EXPERIENCE, WHEN I CAN"T FIND A JOB! so frustrating! At least I'm getting interviews. The rest of the day was much better and nose work class with Indigo and a long walk to the park to run the dogs and a trip to the Lake City farmers market. We got cherries, strawberries, asparagus and had grilled cheese for dinner. For dessert Finley and I shared some locally made chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

The rest of the pics are HERE

Back on track?

Wow two blog posts in a row! Maybe I'm back on track or maybe I just have some extra time. Finley's gran, Frances is staying with us right now while Ben is in Boston and we have been having a great time! With a full time babysitter I've been getting a lot done.

We went to a "carnival" in Georgetown, which was a nice effort, but pretty lame compared to other carnivals I've been to. There weren't even any rides or caramel apples. We had fun anyway strolling around and checking out the neighborhood.

Last night we went to one of our favorite restaurants "The Sandpoint Grill". I love it because it's not pretentious and the atmosphere is really relaxed. The service is great and very accommodating to kids. They give out a plate with cucumebers, apples and carrots as soon as you sit down. They know that kids need something to occupy themselves. The only downside is the food. It's just okay. However we did get dessert to go this time and it was pretty amazing. We had rustic cherry pie and a homemade "ho-ho". Pretty cute and really good.

I'm hoping that on Wednesday we will go to either Vashon Island or Bainbridge Island. It will be fun to teach Finley about boats!

Inspiration & Out of Space

13 months

I'm going to start posting most of my photos on my new Flickr account since I'm out of space on Google. I'm still working on adding and organizing all the photos.

I've been fairly uninspired in the garden and in the kitchen lately. I'm not sure why. The garden is way over grown and there are no vegetables planted. I guess it seemed more stressful to deal with than relaxing and enjoyable this year. I have been cooking and using local, seasonal foods from the farmers market, but nothing especially exciting. I need some inspiration!

I've been spending a lot of time with the dogs and focusing on training. My posts have been regular and are HERE.

Finley is amazing and so much fun. She is just over 13 months and is a wonderful little girl. She loves goofing around and playing games. She smiles a lot. She loves putting things around her neck (dog leashes is a favorite) or trying to put clothes on. At daycare and at home, she does a great job of playing by herself (filling and emptying containers or pushing things around). We go to playgrounds and have lots of fun on the slide and swings. When you give her a phone, she puts it up to her face and yells into it. It's hysterical. She isn't sure about swimming and still hates being changed. As of this past week, she has started to get upset when someone leaves the room or leaves her alone.

She is an eating machine. She probably eats more than I do and more variety than most kids her age. She pretty much eats anything you give her, including pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt, salad, beans, pasta, pizza, any kind of meat or cheese, asparagus, berries, canteloupe, fish etc. I hope that continues for a long time. She takes a multivitamin, vitamin D and fish oil and I still nurse her in the morning.

We have several trips planned this summer, which I am really looking forward to. I'm hoping that getting out of town will give me the inspiration that I am looking for. We are taking our RV to Vancouver Island and to Northern California for combined vacations and flyball tournaments.

Right now Ben is in Boston visiting Tufts and deciding if he wants to be a vet

waiting for the sun

It's been a hard Spring in terms of weather for us, so we have taken advantage all 3 nice days we've had so far. We have been exploring play grounds and enjoying playing in the grass. Both of Finley's grandparents visited for her birthday and and had lots of fun. I don't think she had any complaints about having two birthday celebrations.

I decided to leave my job and look for another one with better hours that is a better fit for my interests. We are keeping Finley in daycare for two days each week while I am job hunting. I am looking forward to spending more time with her, as she changes so quickly. She is just about walking now. She enjoys using her walker toy to help her with this. She is also beginning to play with toys more intentionally. She especially loves emptying and filling containers.

We started a new day care this week. I was a bit nervous because the kids have to sit at a table to eat and nap on little mats. Her report for day 1 was great! I was shocked that she stayed at the table to eat and slept on a mat on the floor. It was a proud moment for us.

She is 1! I'm going to keep taking photos, but probably not every week. I'll aim for monthly owl photos from now on.

We have never been to the tulip festival and so this was the year to finally go. It was well worth the traffic and long drive for the views of the flowers.

this is my favorite photo

The drive home

We have been checking out some of the playgrounds in Seattle. This is our current favorite

trying to let the dogs escape